How did we get here?

It was reported that 1 in 5 people who stormed the Capitol were military or military veterans. I was shocked by the number of active duty and veterans who would participate in such an act. I was told by a friend that I was naive when I thought the veterans would behave better than that because of their oath, my friend was right. I started analyzing my blind spot for veterans to figure out why they would do such a thing.  In my eyes those who participated should be prosecuted for failure to uphold their oath to protect the constitution. In the constitution Section 3 of the 14th amendment prohibits federal employment or benefits to any person that fought against United States in an insurrection or rebellion, this fits that bill. The law is clear that those who commit acts of treason or subversion will have their federal benefits revoked. It will take some time for the repercussions of their action to pan out. While this is going through the process, we need to figure out how we got here. I have some thoughts on that.

In the military when the Commander and chief said storm that building, they followed that order. I believe that some of these veterans feel the loyalty they swore to the constitution was also loyalty to the President. I understand this may feel farfetched to some but understand those of us who have served in the military drank the Kool Aid to some point. Some veterans continue to drink the Kool Aid. I can see where they felt protected and were doing the right thing because the President told them to do it. The president did not lead the rebellion because he was too weak. He just reveled in how he could control so many folks by just telling them as he hung them out to dry to face the upcoming consequences. Another reason veteran could be talked into joining these militia groups is because they miss the camaraderie that some of these groups offer.

Every time I talk to a veteran the biggest thing, they miss about the military is the camaraderie they have with those they serve with. These militia groups profess to be Patriots and offer them what they are missing, a type of a Brotherhood they do not have in the general community. Our society does not offer military veterans this type of camaraderie and brotherhood in the civilian world because civilians are all about themselves. The military culture is dependent on community and building community in order to have a cohesive unit. This is what so many veterans miss, that cohesive unit. Veterans have been recruited by these groups because they have the skills to meet their needs and goals. These veterans were able to utilize the skills learned in the military and were accepted outside of the military by these groups. These veterans are finally appreciated for their skills and knowledge from their military service to meet the needs of the group. In essence they feel appreciated and it gives them the purpose they have been seeking.

After camaraderie, many veterans struggle with finding a purpose. Some veterans recruited by these groups struggle to have a purpose. In the military the purpose is defined. In the civilian world so many veterans struggled to find a meaningful purpose. Some veterans feel they are looked down on by the general population because they believe society thinks they are broken.  Many veterans feel civilians do not understand the military and their needs once we get out. I can see where someone who has been discounted after their time the military would flock to a group that accept them.    

It just happens that the groups that stormed the Capitol building were mainly followers of the Republican Party. Next time it might be the followers of the Democratic Party. Either way we need to focus on how to get our country back together or we will fall apart and lose everything that we fought for. We need to find a way to give our veterans the camaraderie and purposes they miss in a peaceful way, and deeply appreciate their sacrifices to society and not just give lip service. If we do not find a way to honor our veterans, we could cease as a democracy.

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit my website at www.afterdutyvets.com and like us on Facebook @ afterdutyvets.

Feeling Betrayed and Disappointed

As I was working last Wednesday, I had a hole in my schedule so I thought I would turn on the news and watch the circus, I mean Congresses as they counted the electoral college votes. When I turned on the news, I was distraught and confused. I thought I was looking at another country, not our Capital, that could not happen here, so I thought. As I sat and watched I was wondering what is going on. Then I saw the President’s rally and how he had encouraged his followers to descend upon the United States Capitol and interrupt the proceedings, then I knew, the President was attempting to keep power at all cost, and that intent included running over our constitutional process. What the President and his followers failed to understand is Congress was following the constitution and doing what they were required to do. As I watched in horror and struggling with my feelings, I had known that the event was possible because the President could not accept defeat and refused to accept reality. I had always thought that Americans would do what is right. The people had spoken. I guess I was wrong. Some Americans followed a leader who refused to accept reality and wanted to maintain power at any cost, including our democracy.

The President had stoked the discontent within our country over the last 4 years and continued after his loss. I am truly struggling with how we got here and how we could have elected a President who was OK with betraying the constitution and our country for his own needs. I understand the discontent in our country, and I agree with most people that something needs to be done about the politics. I agree they are not working for us and are working for themselves. This is not the way to change things. If you want a change in leadership, we need to vote them out and that is what was done, the President was voted out, but he would not accept the loss, and incited violence because he refuses to accept reality.  

We continue to vote people into Congress that do not have our best interested heart. I was disappointed that our representative Jay Obernolte decided it was in the best interest of the country to contest the election results after what had happened in the Capital. I was initially happy when he was voted in because he has been pro veteran. When Representative Obernolte signed onto challenging the vote of the people and not adhering to the constitution he swore to uphold, he lost me. I cannot support anyone who attempted to undo the will of the people. I feel betrayed by representative Obernolte because of his actions. I spent 20 years of my life upholding the constitution, and I continue to do so. I cannot support anyone who tries to undo our democracy. But the largest betrayal and disappointment I felt was when it came out some of the perpetrators of the assault of the capital were veterans themselves.

I cannot understand how any active-duty military or veterans could join the insurrection.  These folks did at the Capitol. It has been reported that the Army was investigating 25 active-duty people who participated, my guess it will be more in the future. These active-duty military veterans could be facing court marshals for the crime of sedition, and if they do, they deserve it. Why a military veteran would participate in an insurrection is beyond me. In my opinion those veteran folks who destroyed the capital could and should be court martialed for their actions and lose any benefits they have from the government. It is one thing to have a peaceful demonstration but another to attack our capital building. So many of those who participated know better. There were active-duty and military veterans, republican party officials, political donors, politicians, and off duty police officers who decided to throw out the constitution because they did not get their way. All these people took an oath at one time in their life to uphold the constitution of the United States, that oath has no expiration date. They should be held accountable for their actions especially President Trump.

I was told by someone I was naïve and had a blind spot for veterans and active duty because I feel we were better than this, I guess some are not. I do not know where we will end up after all this is over, but I just hope we have learned a valuable lesson about choosing a leader. I do not have a problem with anyone doing what they think is best for the country, but it is hard to believe that what happened in the Capital Wednesday, January 6th, 2021 is what was best for the country. Like I told someone in the store the other day I do not know how anyone can support this President after what he has done. I have never felt this betrayed by a leader in my life, and I spent 20 years in the Air Force and had a lot of leaders.

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit my website at www.afterdutyvets.com and like us on Facebook @afterdutyvets.

Should Veterans Take the Covid-19 Vaccine?

I had a conversation with a good friend about if he was going to get the covid-19 vaccine or not. He is an Air Force veteran and a first responder, he told me he is schedule to get the vaccine this coming week. He like most of us are skeptical because of the slow rollout and was not sure whether it would happen or not, so he was just waiting to see. He described it as being like many of the vaccines we got in the military and we will see how this “experimental drug” works.  He joked that it might counteract the anthrax shots we got while in the Air Force. My follow up joke was, who knows the anthrax shot may have already made us immune. This got me to thinking, are veterans going to be the ones to step up again to save lives by getting the vaccine. We are so used to being used as Guinea pigs by the government, at least those of us who have served years, this is nothing new to us, this is our normal.  

For the 20 years I was in the military we were basically told that we did not have a choice but to get vaccinations. I know during Desert Storm we were given vaccines that was not approved by the FDA. I remember giving them my shot records for them to document an anthrax and botulism vaccine, but they refused to document it. We were told our options were to take the shot or go home and wait for an Article 15 for failing to follow a direct order. Since I was already in theater and did not want to be the crybaby in my unit, I took the vaccinations and went about my way. I have had several ongoing discussions with a friend who was deployed with me, we made a pact to back each other up if something went wrong linked to the vaccines. There are a lot of people who believe that the vaccine we got during Desert Storm has contributed to what is now known as Gulf War syndrome. But of course, the VA refuses to connect the dots even though other countries have.  It will be a while before we know any long-term effects, if any from the COVID-19 vaccine, but I still feel it is worth the risk. In my opinion the risk is worth the reward.  

I am worried that many veterans are isolated and more susceptible to suicide. But I must ask, is staying at home as bad as the virus itself and causing its own set of issues. One of my friends calls it 4 wall fever. He said that being stuck at home is almost as bad as getting the virus, at least the virus is a reason to stay at home. He was joking but I can see where this can cause a lot of depression in the veteran population.  It concerns me about the severity of depression will increase the suicide rate for 2020 in our community and extend into 2021. The inability to get out and socialize and being active has caused a lot of veterans to become severely depressed. Getting the vaccine can change the isolation and allow folks to get out and back to their lives. We know the best remedy for depression is exercise and socialization. With the gyms closed and having to stay at home it is the worst thing that can happen to someone who struggle with depression. Since depression is a part of PTSD it worries me about where we will be in the future. This pandemic can play into the hands of some with PTSD because they want to stay at home. It also causes problems with the paranoia of going out and the inability to socialize with loved ones and friends.

I see the COVID-19 vaccine as a key to normalcy. We have been told that this vaccine is built upon prior vaccines that have been successful in the past. I chose to trust the process mainly because insurance companies do not want to be sued for an inferior or ineffective product. I just know that the military and veteran community has been used as guinea pigs before and almost always turns out for the best. I feel this is no different, if not better than the issues I had to deal with during Desert Storm and the experimental vaccines we were given. So, I will be stepping up and be one of the first in line when offered to get the vaccine in hopes of getting back to a normal life, helping the economy become vibrant again. Let us make 2021 the year that we overcome the pandemic, learn from hard lessons, and begin to get the life we had before all of this took place. I wish all my veteran family a Happy New Year and hope that 2021 will bring you and your family Sanity, Peace of Mind, Hope and Prosperity. 

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com. I also have a program available for those who live with someone who has PTSD. 7 Keys to a Successful PTSD Relationship is available on our webpage www.afterdutyvets.com

Brain Injury and the VA

As I was watching the news over Veteran's Day there was a big story on Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and how the Veterans Administration (VA) has been mis-handling the signature injury of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). I have seen similar issues with my clients and the VA when we have discussed the possibility of them having TBI. There have been multiple occasions where I have encouraged my clients to talk to the VA about possibly suffering from TBI. Most have come back and told me that they were tested for TBI by the VA years ago and were told that they did not have it.

I was discussing with William the possibility of him having TBI because of his Anxiety, Aggression, Depression, and sleep disturbance. William has been treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for a while and appears to be struggling making progress. William had two tours in Iraq and is struggling with impulse control and making good decisions. I was aware of his exposure to explosions because of his PTSD. William had been “blown up” on three different occasions increasing the possibility of him having TBI or Mild TBI (mTBI).  

I know from experience that medical issues encountered while deployed do not always end up in permanent medical records. It never dawned on me that Williams incidents was never documented in his medical records until recently. On top of that William is not the type to report headaches or perceived minor issues for fear of being considered weak by his unit, especially since his buddies were killed or maimed. The fear of being perceived as weak was solidified when President Trump stated that no one was injured during the Iranian attack on US troops in Iraq. He called the medevacked troops injuries as nothing serious, they just had headaches. These types of explosions are what can cause TBI and mTBI, minimizing the injuries continues to fuel the flames of these unseen injuries. These troops injuries were probably documented but it makes me wonder how many troops that had been knocked out or had a loss of consciousness did not have their incidents documented in their medical records. The lack of documentation could lead the VA to struggle diagnosing TBI or mTBI.

As a mental health provider for veterans I often see the signs of TBI or mTBI. But since I am not a “medical doctor” I cannot diagnose either TBI or mTBI because it is considered a physical injury and not a mental disorder. Part of the problem doctors face is the inability for some brain damage to be seen on the standard CT scan which is commonly used to look for brain damage. It is possible that the damage done years ago will not show up by traditional means or not severe enough to show up but is still there.  

Every person that has had a concussion has had a case of mTBI. MTBI is an issue that is misunderstood and not discussed very often. The difference is the severity of the event. Multiple incidents often happen during combat or in the war zone. From what I have seen from some medical doctors is they cannot see the injury in the CT or MRI scan, so it does not exist to them and discount the symptoms as PTSD. A person may have had a concussion or a “bruised brain” that is not detectable under a CT or MRI but still suffer from the symptoms causing their mTBI to be confused with PTSD.  There are a lot of similarities in the symptoms between mTBI and PTSD but mTBI takes special treatment due to the brain damage. With PTSD the negative behaviors can be changed with compliance and treatment, but it is harder to change the negative behaviors if the brain is damaged. Mislabeling PTSD as mTBI can cause veterans and their families a lot of pain because mTBI is so misunderstood.            

One of the VA's issues is the fear of people cheating the system and getting a disability claim that may not exist. This is a problem with every bureaucracy, but it appears to be a large part of the system. As I stated earlier the lack of documentation in the theater can cause this to become a bigger issue then it should be. Some of the issues that can linger with mTBI include sleep issues, poor time management, unable to get things done, deficits in attention and concentration, depression, anxiety, aggression, and personality change. When you put this all together it sure looks like PTSD. But if the veteran has been in treatment for PTSD an extended period and does not improve the VA needs to start looking at TBI or mTBI as a possibility.

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at www.afterdutyvets.com. I also have 2 books on Amazon if anyone wants to read more about veterans and their struggles. Living the Dream: Nightmares of Military Re-integration and Living the Dream II: Nightmares of Navigating the VA System.

Americans Need to Unite Under One Flag Again

Now that November 3rd has passed, we need to look toward the future of the country and come together as Americans. America has become so polarized that it is hard to recognize it. We lose respect and civility with our friends and family over politics because of the divisiveness. There are times where fights break out over politics in people’s inner circles, lines are drawn, and family’s fracture. We need to get back to where we respect each other’s rights to have their thoughts and think differently than we do. It is irrelevant who won the election, we need to come together as one country, or we will cease to maintain our position in the word or fall into another civil-war. We should be fighting our outside enemies instead of each other.

The country has been going downhill for a while, but it appears the divisiveness became worse when President Obama was elected. Under President Obama the unwillingness to work together took over and the polarization started inside the Washington DC beltway. This polarization blead over into the general population causing all kinds of issues. When Mitch McConnell said publicly that his goal was to make President Obama a one term President it told us how unwilling he was to work with President Obama for the betterment of the country. When President Obama won a second term as President, Senator McConnell blocked every bill supported by President Obama with little to no negation or attempt to work across political lines. The senate under McConnell during the Obama administration passed the fewest laws in history. So much time was wasted on beating a dead horse with all the investigations into Hillary Clinton as nothing was getting done in the Senate. This led to the tit for tat waste of time impeaching President Trump knowing the Senate would not remove the President from office.

When President Obama nominated judges, they were not appointed because McConnell refused to put them up for a vote, causing a lag in the already broken judicial system. This type of divisiveness did not start with Mitch McConnell, it started with Harry Reid, but it was perfected by Mitch McConnell. Recently we have become so divided that some Americans have started flying modified American flags causing some discontent among some Americans. This alteration to the American flag feeds into the partisanship and is not good for the country. The divisiveness is not one party, it is both. This divisiveness has led to the desecration of the American Flag, now used as a divisive tool.         

I am troubled when people take the American flag and alter it to meet political needs and feeding the divisiveness. I take exception to those who alter the American flag by putting a blue line, a red line, or black lives matter lettering in it. I have no reservation about the Police, Firefighters Black lives matter, and the LGBTQ folks having their own flags. I support the Police, Firefighters, Black Lives matter and the LGBTQ movements. I support anyone who has their own flag to show their pride. What I don’t like is people taking the American flag and altering it to suit a political agenda and divide us as a country. The US Flag should go unmolested and be the rally point of all Americans.    

The United States Flag should invoke pride in being an American. It is important that we unite under the United States Flag and quit altering it to meet a political agenda. Its time we all come together and follow the flag that all veterans fought for. Please honor our service by following the American Flag and quit changing it to make a political statement. If we want to get our country back to civility, we need to look at uniting under one flag, the American Flag! 

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at www.afterdutyvets.com. I also have 2 books on Amazon if anyone wants to read more about veterans and their struggles. Living the Dream: Nightmares of Military Re-integration and Living the Dream II: Nightmares of Navigating the VA System.

Veterans Struggle with Divisiveness

History has shown that the military and veteran community have mainly been supportive of the Republican candidate for President, it appears that may change this election cycle. There are a lot of Veterans who do not support President Trump because of his actions toward Veterans. I entered the Air Force under President Reagan. I was a big Reagan supporter during because I felt he placed the country first. But this election cycle I am starting to see a huge shift in the military community from that history. It appears that the military community is deeply divided for this Presidential election. Both candidates found a way to avoid the draft during Vietnam, which does not set well with me. I feel that society is to blame. We have over 300 million people in the United States and all we could find to run for President is two draft dodgers, but here we are. This does not look good for the country and where we are going.

The “Presidential debate” if you want to call it that, made us look like a Banana Republic. The constant over talking of the President appeared to me to be very childish and somewhat strategic. Vice President Biden telling President Trump to shut up was not helpful either. It has been documented that the Vice President Biden has had to overcome a stutter in his life. Speech specialists acknowledged the way President Trump was acting was designed to cause Vice President Biden to stutter and become confused. It appeared not to work, but the losers of this encounter are the people of the United States. It appears that the US military and veterans are being used as a prop by the President and his comments about us are not helping. The Trump family has not had anyone who served in the military. It has been noted that the Trump family threatened to dis-inherent anyone who joined the military. On the other hand, the Bidens have had family who served.

The Biden family has had some of their family members who have served. Even though Joe Biden, like the president had gotten several deferments and not served in Vietnam. His son Beau Biden served a tour in Iraq when he was the attorney general of Delaware. Not only has the Biden family Served in the military Vice President Biden’s wife Jill came together with Michelle Obama launching a nationwide initiative to rally around service members, veterans, and their families. This initiative was disbanded by President Trump after the election. We as veterans should question who the commander in chief should be, we should also look at the sacrifices both candidates have offered to our country.

It is true that the VA is being funded well under President Trump, I get it. But it was also funded well under the Obama / Biden administration. Not funding the VA is a death sentence for any politician. It just goes to show that no matter what it will be a tough decision for some veterans to make when it comes to making a choice for our next commander in chief.

I personally struggled with the way President Trump has handled veterans and troops under his command. The name calling and belittling veterans and adversaries is just too much for me to accept. At the end of the day we all need to decide what we believe is best for the country. Please do not attack your fellow veterans for their beliefs or who they vote for. The country is divided, veterans need to stay united for each other even through our differences. Veterans are a dysfunctional family, but family, nevertheless.

As our Vietnam era veterans age, we continue to lose the power that veterans have as a unit. The number of veterans is slipping by the day and it worries me that we may be losing our voice. Veterans need to look at where we fit in this election. We need to get past the rhetoric, the over talk, and all the BS associated with this election and do what is best for the country again. We did not fight for this divisiveness. The best thing that I can say is vote no matter how you feel, do not criticize other veterans for their decisions, and have each other’s backs.

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at www.afterdutyvets.com. I also have 2 books on Amazon if anyone wants to read more about veterans and their struggles. Living the Dream: Nightmares of Military Re-integration and Living the Dream II: Nightmares of Navigating the VA System.

We Are Not Suckers!

The selflessness of service is a hallmark of the Active Duty and Veteran community. The acts of selflessness have carried on since the inception of the United States and ingrained in our country starting with our founding fathers. Each of the founding fathers who signed the Decoration of Independence risked their lives. By signing the Decoration of Independence, they were committing treason. If they had lost the revolution they would have been executed for treason. Our founding fathers had their flaws but were not losers and suckers and neither are those who serve, have served, and died in the line of their service.   

When I had first heard the report about President Trump saying that those who died in the Belleau Woods battle were losers, I thought to myself, no he didn’t. The President of the United States could not make comments like that. I tried to find a way to dismiss the comments, but the history of this President reminded me that the comments that our dead were "losers" and "suckers" fell in line with his past behavior. These comments would not be believable if President Trump did not have a track record of making disparaging comments and treating veterans with contempt.

Before you start saying the report is “Fake News” The report has been confirmed by Fox News, the Associated Press, and Military Times to name a few. I did not want to believe it however, this type of comment is in the Presidents pattern of behavior, so it makes it more believable. Below is a list of comments and actions by President Trump that has made these comments believable.  

·         He has called John McCain is a loser for being captured

·         Fought to not allow flags to be flown at half-staff for John McCain’s death

·         He has called George HW bush a loser for being shot down

·         He has told a war widow that her husband new what he was getting into

·         Took Military money from the pentagon designated for base construction to pay for the wall

·         Continues to use military Active Duty and Veterans as props.

·         Saying that he knows more about the military and ISIS than the generals

·         Stated his Vietnam was in the college dating scene.

·         Standing with General John Kelly's sons grave and stating “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”

·         He said “I know John Kelly, he was with me, didn’t do a good job, had no temperament and ultimately he was petered out,”

·         He stated that General Dunford, former chairman of the Joint Chief of staff, was a smart guy, why would he join the military

·         Belittled Gold Star Families

·         Donald Trump called former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis “the world’s most overrated general”  

·         Told his planners that he did not want wounded veterans in the military parade in Washington DC he stated That is not a good look, Americans do not like that “Nobody wants to see that.”

·         The President stated that we should not go after MIA troops because they “had performed poorly and gotten caught and deserved what they got.”

·         Refused to act against Russia for paying bounties on American Servicemen and women.

·         Pardoned war criminals

·         Gone through 5 Secretaries of the VA providing little to no continuity over a 3-year period

·         Used Military Against peaceful protesters

·         Refuses to meet our fallen at Dover when they come home

·         Called TBI injuries headaches

·         Refused to confront Russia over their vehicle ramming ours and causing injuries

·         Abandoning the Kurdish

·         Took almost 2 years to visit a combat zone. He conceded his personal safety was one thing that kept him from visiting. President Obama visited Iraq 3 months after he was inaugurated.

·         “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” and referred to the more than 1,800 Marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed.…        

Even if half of the above is false, the other half makes it plausible that he said what was reported about the war dead interned in France. Military Officials have confirmed that Trump has little regard for anyone who died for our country. He feels they are a failure because they were killed. He does not understand what sacrifice is and question those who serve. This president has been no friend to Active Duty or Veterans community. His constant inability to understand why we do what we do is unfathomable to him. He has never had to sacrifice for anything, he does not get it. The President does not understand sacrifice.

I take exception that I am a loser and a sucker for joining the Air Force. I also take exception to the President calling our brothers and sisters losers and suckers. I have had enough! I am starting to get angry and frustrated that so many folks, including some active duty and veterans, are OK with this. I challenge all those who believe its “fake news” Just go listen to the President’s comments, on tape. Do your research. Are there biases in the news… you bet they are, but you have biases toward those who attack you, why should the media be different?   

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at www.afterdutyvets.com. I also have 2 books on Amazon if anyone wants to read more about veterans and their struggles. Living the Dream: Nightmares of Military Re-integration and Living the Dream II: Nightmares of Navigating the VA System. 

Veterans are struggling with the political climate

John is one of my clients who is struggling with the political climate in the country. He firmly feels that we are headed for a civil war because of the discontent. I am discovering that he is not alone when it comes to the veteran’s community. The upcoming election is seeing the country as the most divided since the Civil War. I am finding that veterans are divided like never before. The question we need to ask is how did we get here? We have become tribal. The definition of tribal is relating to a group or community with similar ancestors, customs, and traditions. As a society we used to be more accepting to people with differing views, customs, and traditions, that appears to have changed in recent years. The media and politicians appear to be playing a large part of the tribal division in our society to stay in power, and it appears it is working. They are not just dividing the country; they are dividing veterans.

The media and politicians are using fear to separate us. Our primal fears are there to protect us, but the media and politicians are using it to divide and conquer. The division has appeared to stretch into our Active Duty troops. The media and politicians appear to have found a way to make money using division as a way of staying in power. I served under four different presidents both Republican and Democrats and we never demeaned anyone for their belief for following one party over another. We always felt that we were fighting for everyone’s right to have their opinion. We did not allow partisan politics to get in the way of our respect for each other, I fear that is changing. It appears veterans might be losing our tribe and wandering aimlessly as we listen to the media and politicians trying to decide where we belong. If we do end up in a civil war it is because we have allowed the media and politicians to do it to us. We need to stop turning on each other before it gets too bad.

It is disappointing that we have started to demean others who have separate opinions than us. I know as a 20-year military veteran that things are not the way they used to be. I heard a General the other day talk about how Active Duty troops and leadership are taking sides. It appears that we now have tribes within the military tribe. The use of the military to suppress peaceful protesters did not help. I must ask myself, was this done on purpose to divide us and divide our tribe in two separate factions. We need to start accepting each other’s beliefs. We need to start doing our homework and doing the fact checking for ourselves, not listening to the pundits on FOX, MSNBC, or CNN. Use research done by those who investigate stories and use evidence.  The trolls on the internet do not get a lot of their news from reliable sources, they are trying to get their “clicks up” to make them feel important by using questionable research. News Papers are still the go-to for many stories when looking for reliable information. It takes a lot of work, but it is what we need to do to save the country we all love and have fought for. The facts are the facts.

We as veterans know how to critically think and weigh the facts and not let others tell us what to think. We are starting to allow the media and politicians to control our thoughts. The veteran community is not as fractured as badly as society, but I am seeing cracks starting to form and it worries me. If there is a civil war, as John believes, it will be ugly, and like our forefathers we will become tribal and take up sides against each other. We need to do all we can to prevent the possibility and stick together as veterans. We should be respecting the rights of others to have their opinion. We need to embrace the fact that those who disagree with us have earned the right to be wrong and support their decision.     

For questions or comments you can contact me at afterdutyvets@gmail.com or visit our website at www.afterdutyvets.com. I also have 2 books on Amazon if anyone wants to read more about veterans and their struggles. Living the Dream: Nightmares of Military Re-integration and Living the Dream II: Nightmares of Navigating the VA System.